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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · ball · march · ruler · content · bore · jam · firm

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. content — happy
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ball — a dance
  19. content — the amount
  20. firm — steady
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — to drill
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com